Last week Solar SOAS made an appearance at the 2016 NUS Conference, down in Brighton, on a panel to discuss the importance of divestment and reinvestment particularly of the assets of university institutions.

On the panel next to Solar SOAS were two students from Lancaster University, where there have been significant talks on divestment and reinvestment of these significant sums of money, as well as the co-founder of Community Reinvest(CRI) which works on providing assistance and data on divestment and reinvestment on a local authority level.

The one-hour session was very insightful into the other processes of divestment and reinvestment, both on the way it has been happening in other universities and also local governments, particularly given the foothold that Solar SOAS had on the Fossil Free movement.

A discussion followed, with questions on the way the feed-in tariff has changed and how it may affect renewable energies, as well as some questions from other universities and their divestment movements and how to continue the long march towards sustainable, university-owned renewable energies. The whole session was very interesting and engaging, with a lot of support and genuine interest in renewable energies on-campus.

Solar SOAS wants to thank the NUS for inviting us to the fringe during the conference, and also wishes the best to all the Students Unions and other universities who attended in their continuing campaign for divestment and a more sustainable future.